Sweden overcome Poland to take maiden main round points

Poland displayed quality and tactical maturity to compete with Sweden in the first half at the Fönix Arena in Debrecen, but ultimately their lack of experience showed and the Scandinavian side picked up the important two points.

GROUP I

Sweden vs Poland 33:25 (17:15)

• with three players getting two-minute suspensions in the opening three minutes, the importance of the match and the pressure within both squads was clear
• Sweden took an early four-goal lead (6:2) in the 7th minute, but Poland fought hard to get back into the match and did not let Sweden take an untouchable lead ahead of the break
• line player, Marlena Urbanska received a direct disqualification in the second half and Poland ended the match with six two-minute suspensions, in comparison to Sweden's four
• Monika Kobylinska was Poland's top scorer with six goals to her name with the right back overtaking Anna Ejsmont as Poland’s third-best EHF EURO scorer in history
• Jamina Roberts scored six goals and missed only one attempt, ending up being crowned as the Player of the Match, presented by Grundfos

Poland's secret weapon not enough to stop Bundsen and Hagman

After beginning the match by allowing Sweden to take early control of the match's result, Poland's coach Arne Senstad called a team timeout and instructed the squad to start playing seven against six in attack, which enabled them to get back into the match.

As a result, Poland played with much more confidence and efficiency, which saw them mount a first-half comeback and even take a 12:11 lead in the 24th minute.

However, although it took time for Tomas Axnér's squad to adapt their style of play, Johanna Bundsen and Nathalie Hagman played a crucial role in deciding the winner. Right wing Hagman scored nine goals, while Bundsen made 10 saves and even scored a couple of goals, finding the answer for Poland's seven-against-six play.

Photos © EHF/kolektiff